The present invention relates generally to gas fired barbecued grills and is more particularly concerned with a new and improved adjustable gas/air feed assembly for such grills.
It is well known in the art that adjustable feed assemblies can be advantageously employed with a variety of grill designs and styles. The feed assembly is used to connect the gas supply inlet valve to the gas burner and preferably provides dual adjustability by combining a telescoping structure with a highly flexible conduit section. This combination permits both horizontal and vertical adjustment between the gas inlet valve and the gas burner, making it particularly well suited for use as a replacement part for a large number of different barbecue grill models. The assembly typically includes a corrugated tubular gas conduit section telescopically connected to a venturi or aspirator tube section. Because the interconnection between these two sections simply involves a slip fit, many manufacturers have incorporated features that will hold thetwo sections at a desired extended position. This holding feature has varied from the set screw arrangement described in Kozial's U.S. Reissue Pat. No. 32,133 to the threaded connections shown in his U.S. Pat. No. 4,679,544 and to the O-ring features described in Hitch's U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,598,692 and 4,624,240 and Kozial's U.S. Pat. No. 4,773,384.
The venturi orr aspirator section of the assembly usually is manufactured from a welded tube of either stainless steel, zinc plated carbon steel or aluminized steel to enhance the corrosion resistance of the assembly. However, due to manufacturing and assembly costs of the welded tube construction, manufacturers have found it necessary to produce these units in those countries where reduced cost can be realized.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved adjustable feed assembly having a structure that can be made and assembled at significantly reduced cost and where the seam of the venturi or aspirator tube is formed without the welding operation utilized heretofore. The structure described herein has the further advantage of providing both sealability and holding features while eliminating the extra cost associated with the utilization of set screws and O-rings to achieve the desired retention of the assembly in its partially or fully extended positions.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be in part obvious and in part pointed out in more detail hereinafter.
These and related objects are accomplished in accordance with the present invention by providing an adjustable gas/air feed assembly for a gas burner with novel and unique means for holding the telescoping sections in their desired extended position. The holding means includes an adjustable seam carried by the inner telescoping section of the assembly whereby the seam is effective both to circumferentially close or seal that section and at the same time allow a spring-like diameter change therein whereby the inner section is bias outwardly against the outer section of the assembly to hold the sections against inadvertent telescopic changes of position.
A better understanding of the objects, advantages, features, properties and relationships of the invention will be obtained from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings which set forth an illustrative embodiment and are indicative of the way in which the principles of the invention are employed.